Honeycomb making machine

ABSTRACT

A continuous honeycombed paper making machine is provided which transforms the output of four paper stock rolls into a continuous core of honeycombed material. The machine comprises four sections: a gluer; sheet stacker; pad slicer; and slice combiner. The gluer forms a continuous 4-ply web from the stock rolls by applying adhesive in staggered, longitudinal stripes to the top and bottom surfaces of the first or topmost and third plys. The sheeter-stacker cuts and trims the 4-ply web and accumulates a quantity of sheets into a stack where adjacent sheets are bonded to one another by virtue of the adhesive on the top surface of the topmost ply and then compresses the stack to form a pad. The pad slicer slices each pad into slices extending transverse to the adhesive stripes. The slice combiner applies adhesive to each slice and then positions them in a vertical column where the slices are bonded to one another to form the desired continuous core.

United States Patent 1 Clark et al.

3,713,954 Jan. 30, 1973 [75] lnventors: Kenneth G. Clark, Pennington;

Thomas J. Cook, Kendall Park; Ernest T. DePass, Bound Brook; Abraham Manfredonia, Titusville, all of NJ.

[73] Assignee: Union Camp Corporation, Wayne,

[22] Filed: Aug. 3, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 60,268

[52 U.S. Cl. ..l56/548, 156/197,156/291,

[51] Int. Cl ..B32b 31/08, B32b 31/18 [58] Field of Search ..l56/197, 291, 512, 548, 549,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,518,151 6/1970 Ellinor ..156/512 3,519,510 7/1970 Ardolino etal. ..I56/197 2,983,640 5/1961 Knoll etal ..156/l97 3,551,257 12/1970 Rochla ..156/510 HONEYCOMB MAKING MACHINE Primary ExaminerBenjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-James M. Hanley Attorney-Kane, Dalsimer, Kane, Sullivan and Kurucz [57] ABSTRACT A continuous honeycombed paper making machine is provided which transforms the output of four paper stock rolls into a continuous core of honeycombed material. The machine comprises four sections: a gluer; sheet stacker; pad slicer; and slice combiner. The gluer forms a continuous 4-ply web from the stock rolls by applying adhesive in staggered, longitudinal stripes to the top and bottom surfaces of the first or topmost and third plys. The sheeter-stacker cuts and trims the 4-ply web and accumulates a quantity of sheets into a stack where adjacent sheets are bonded to one another by virtue of the adhesive on the top surface of the topmost ply and then compresses the stack to form a pad. The pad slicer slices each pad into slices extending transverse to the adhesive stripes. The slice combiner applies adhesive to each slice and then positions them in a vertical column where the slices are bonded to one another to form the desired continuous core.

11 Claims, 26 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 3 0 I973 SHEET BlUF 22 l [M MAI PAIENTED JAN 30 I975 SHEET DSUF 22 I v V .M W%\ FHMHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHM \.\\\W SQ llif 1Q m mm @Pu L M 5A1 ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJAN 30 I973 SHEET UBUF 22 PATENTEDJAN 30 I975 SHEET USUF 22 M m M w ATTORNEYS PATENTEUJAN 30 I975 3,713,954

' SHEET 11m 22 A 0M, ATTORNEYS PATENTED JAN 3 0 I975 FIG. I2

I 3.713.954 SHEET 120F 22 ATTORNEYS IPATENIEDJAHEIO I975 3.713.954 SEZEET; 13UF 22 FIG. /3

ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJAHEOIHYS a 713 954 SHEET lUUF 22 ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJAH 30 I975 SHEET 15 0F 22 PAIENTEB JAN 30 I973 3,713,954

. SHEET 18UF 22 tke, I I 7 ATTORNEYS PATENTEUJAKSO I975 SHEET 18 HF 22 FIG. 2/ 

1. A machine for making a continuous, unexpanded paper honey-comb core comprising: a gluer for joining together a plurality of plys of paper stock into a multi-layer web along longitudinally extending, spaced apart adhesive lines, the adhesive lines between adjacent layers being staggered; cutting means; a gripper-conveyor assembly; a stacker; first means for conveying said web from said gluer through said cutting means to said gripper-conveyor assembly, said cutting means cutting said web into sheets, said gripper-conveyor assembly being movable to transfer each said sheet from the cutting means to said stacker, said stacker accumulating said sheets into a stack; said gripper-conveyor assembly including a pair of spaced apart chains, a plurality of spaced apart gripper assemblies extending between said chains, a plurality of support bars extending between said chains rearwardly of said gripper assemblies, the distance between the rearwardmost support bar of each assembly and the next assembly being greater than the length of the sheets; means for transferring said stack to a press; press means for compressing said stack into a pad; means for slicing said compressed pad into slices extending transverse to said longitudinal stripes; second means for conveying the said slices from the slicer to a slice accumulator; and, means for accumulating said slices in registry and for joining together said slices to form a continuous compressed core of paper honeycomb.
 1. A machine for making a continuous, unexpanded paper honeycomb core comprising: a gluer for joining together a plurality of plys of paper stock into a multi-layer web along longitudinally extending, spaced apart adhesive lines, the adhesive lines between adjacent layers being staggered; cutting means; a gripper-conveyor assembly; a stacker; first means for conveying said web from said gluer through said cutting means to said gripper-conveyor assembly, said cutting means cutting said web into sheets, said gripper-conveyor assembly being movable to transfer each said sheet from the cutting means to said stacker, said stacker accumulating said sheets into a stack; said gripper-conveyor assembly including a pair of spaced apart chains, a plurality of spaced apart gripper assemblies extending between said chains, a plurality of support bars extending between said chains rearwardly of said gripper assemblies, the distance between the rearwardmost support bar of each assembly and the next assembly being greater than the length of the sheets; means for transferring said stack to a press; press means for compressing said stack into a pad; means for slicing said compressed pad into slices extending transverse to said longitudinal stripes; second means for conveying the said slices from the slicer to a slice accumulator; and, means for accumulating said slices in registry and for joining together said slices to form a continuous compressed core of paper honeycomb.
 2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a cam follower associated with each of said gripper assemblies; and first stop means shiftably mounted to said machine and shiftable between a first position in the path of said first conveyor and a second position out of the path of said first conveyor whereby said stop means in said first position is adapted to allow passage of said gripper asSembly and support rods but prevent the passage of the sheet associated therewith.
 3. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said gripper assemblies comprises a plurality of first members spaced apart along said bar; said stop means includes a spaced plurality of members extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said chains said stop members being interdigitated between said gripper assembly first members and positioned above said bar and support rods so as not to interfere with the motion of said gripper assembly.
 4. The invention in accordance with claim 3 further comprising a second catch box disposed in line with said first catch box beneath the path of said conveyor and positioned in front of said first catch box; second stop means in the path of said conveyor positioned over the rear edge of said second catch box, extending between said conveyor chains transverse to the longitudinal axis of said conveyor and adapted to allow the passage of said gripper assembly and support rods but prevent the passage of an associated sheet; and means for shifting said first stop means to said first stop means second position when said first catch box is full so as to allow said gripper assembly to draw an associated sheet up to said second stop means into position over said second catch box.
 5. The invention in accordance with claim 4 wherein said stack transferring means includes a roller conveyor extending between said catch boxes and said press, said conveyor including a first set of rollers disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis of said conveyor and a second set of rollers disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of said conveyor, said first set of rollers being shiftably mounted with respect to said second set of rollers whereby to allow said first set of rollers to rise above and drop beneath said second set of rollers; and pusher means shiftably mounted to each of said catch boxes and adapted to move across said catch boxes transverse to the longitudinal axis of said chain conveyor whereby to transfer the stack of sheets accumulating on said catch boxes to said roller conveyor.
 6. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein said slice accumulating means includes a table having a first end and a second end; a hopper coupled to said table proximal said first end for receiving slices one at a time from said slicer and for aligning said slices transverse to the longitudinal axis of said table; means for transporting said slices longitudinally along said table toward said second end; a glue applicator fixed in the path of movement of said slices along said table and adapted to apply glue to each slice passing thereby; means for supporting a core of honeycomb material formed of said slices disposed at said second end; and means for removing a slice from said slice transporting means, for shifting said removed slice to said core supporting means, and for affixing said slice to the end of the core supported on said supporting means.
 7. The invention in accordance with claim 6 wherein said table includes a plurality of slots extending longitudinally from said first end toward said second end and said transporting means includes a continuous chain driven pusher mechanism having a path of motion between said table ends and including a plurality of spaced pusher dogs adapted to ride in said longitudinal slots during the portions of each cycle when said mechanism moves from said first end toward said second end and to fall below said slots when said mechanism moves from said second end toward said first end.
 8. The invention in accordance with claim 6 wherein said core supporting means includes a pair of vertical guide members disposed at said table second end, said guide members being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to that of the width of an associated slice; an elevator disposed at said table second end aligned between said guide members; hook means spaced above said table and shiftable from a first position extenDing outside said guide members to a second position extending into the spacing between said guide members; said elevator being vertically shiftable between a first position aligned with said table to a second position aligned with said hook means; means for removing a slice from said table and transferring said removed slice to said elevator; and drive means adapted to drive said elevator and said hook means whereby when said elevator is in said second position, said hook means are in said hook means first potion and when said elevator is in said elevator first position, said hook means is in said hook means second position.
 9. The invention in accordance with claim 8 wherein said slice removing means comprises a longitudinally shiftable rake commonly driven with said elevator and hook means and adapted to draw a slice from said table onto said elevator when said elevator is in said elevator first position.
 10. The invention in accordance with claim 8 wherein one of said vertical guide members is horizontally shiftable with respect to the other of said members. 